As Iraqis mourned in shock and disbelief, more dead bodies were recovered Tuesday from the site of a massive Islamic State suicide bombing this weekend in central Baghdad, bringing the death toll to 175, officials said.
Advertisement
The attack, claimed by Islamic State militants, which the government is battling in the country’s north and west, was the deadliest of the many auto bombings in Baghdad since the 2003 US-led invasion, deepening the anger of many Iraqis over the weak performance of the security apparatus. Numerous victims were women and children, and police have said that many people are still missing.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to talk to the media. “It is a hard task”, a member of the civil defence forces quoted by AFP news agency said.
Al Jazeera reports that the current death tolls means Sunday’s bombing is the deadliest attack in Iraq since the US-led invasion of the country in 2013.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden minibus in Baghdad’s Karrada neighbourhood early on Sunday, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The attack sparked anger among many Iraqis, who have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them. At least 192 people were wounded.
Also Monday, five convicted terrorists were executed in Baghdad, the Ministry of Justice said in an announcement that appeared aimed at restoring faith in Iraq’s security forces in the wake of the devastating attack.
“The attack was one of Iraq’s worst, and the head of civil defense in the Karrada area of Baghdad said on state TV that he had never seen a bomb like this – the flames spread further and were more powerful than the vehicle bombs that hit Baghdad several times a month”. The streets and sidewalks were filled with young people and families after they had broken their daylight fast.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced efforts to address longstanding security flaws in Baghdad following the blast, which came a week after Iraqi forces recaptured the city of Fallujah from IS.
Along with taking away the electronic wand detectors, al-Abadi also ordered that X-ray systems be installed at the entrances of provinces. Iraq forces fighting on the ground and U.S. led coalition of airstrikes reclaimed the territory including Fallujah, but still IS controls various cities including Mosul.
Advertisement
Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces.
